The family of Santa Barbara shark victim Lucas Ransom speak live on NBC’s Today Show about Lucas, his life, and what being in the water meant to him.
[Link: MSNBC.com]
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Surfing
Lucas McKaine Ransom, 19, of Romoland, California died Friday morning October 22, 2010 after being attacked by what witnesses say was an 18 foot long shark at Surf Beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base, according to a story in the Lompoc Record.
The friend, Matthew Garcia, told The Associated Press that he was two feet from Ransom, who was wearing a wet suit, when the shark rose out of the water without warning and bit into Ransom’s leg. . . . Garcia says his friend cried ‘Help me, dude!’ before he disappeared under the water in a cloud of red. . . .Garcia was pounded by waves as he looked for Ransom. He estimates the shark was 18 feet long.
Garcia (who was on a surfboard at the time) found Ransom and pulled him to shore, but Ransom died on the beach. Ransom was junior at UCSB majoring in chemical engineering. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
[Link: Lompoc Record]
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A group of big wave surfers and photographers have convinced the San Mateo County Harbor District to give them the permit to run the Mavericks’ only annual surf contest, according to a story in the Peninsula Press.
Under Harbor District rules, only one organization can hold the permit needed to host the annual Mavericks event, which takes place about half a mile offshore of Pillar Point Harbor and uses harbor facilities as a staging and viewing area. Last night, the Harbor District commissioners voted to award this winter’s permit to the new Hay Moon Bay Surf Group that includes Washburn and fellow big-name surfer Peter Mel; Clark’s wife, Katherine Clark; surf event organizer Darren Brilhart; and several surf photographers.
Will be good to see the event return to surfing. The over-promoted surf rodeo/circus thing it had become was sad.
[Link: Peninsula Press]
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Newport Beach, California’s world famous Frog House Surf Shop will stay in its current location even regardless of city zoning issues thanks to the efforts of the local surf community, according to a story in the Daily Pilot.
At the Oct. 12 City Council meeting, Councilman Steve Rosansky said the city is working with the Frog House to rezone its property. Dozens of supporters had called Rosansky and other city officials on the Frog House’s behalf, and more than 10,000 supporters joined the shop’s Facebook page. . . Rosansky said that “T.K.” Brimer, the owner of the shop and the property, needs to apply for a zoning change and an amendment to the general plan. . . “Once he does that, and assuming it’s approved, he will be able to continue operating in that location,” Rosansky said at the meeting. In the meantime, Brimer and other property owners have filed requests with the city to delay enforcement of the zoning rules.
T.K., we know city paperwork is a bitch, but the community has done their part, now it’s time to do yours.
[Link: Daily Pilot]
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In late September 2010, Jamie Sterling, Mikala Jones, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, Mary Osborne, and boat driver Todd Roberts (of Santa Monica’s ZJ Boarding House) traveled to China to surf the Qiantang River Tidal Bore in support the booming surf market in China. Osborne because the first woman to surf the bore and Wingnut even did a headstand.
[Link via Surfline]
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When world famous hotelier Ian Schrager wanted art for his latest creation in Waikiki (the surf-inspired Waikiki Edition) he looked directly to Herbie Fletcher, according to a story on Luxist.com. Herbie created a wall-sized installation for the hotel’s reception desk.
It is made from over 100 collected, broken surfboards from the sport’s best pipeline surfers: Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Nathan Fletcher, Bruce Irons, and Christian Fletcher. It hangs above the custom-made reception desk, which has been made from sculpted plywood transformed into a natural, organic shape and finished using the techniques and traditions of local Hawaiian surfboard making.
Nothing suggests the power of Hawaiian surf more than wall full of broken boards.
[Link: Waikiki Edition via Luxist.com]
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After competing in the O’Neill Coldwater Classic in Tofino, British Columbia (and exiting in the round of 16), Australian surfer Mitch Coleborn got into a little trouble. He was reportedly arrested for indecent exposure on Friday morning October 15, 2010, according to a story in The Province.
The 23-year-old man, from the Sunshine Coast in Australia, was in custody until Friday night after allegedly exposing himself to adults and children about a block from Tofino’s Wickaninnish Elementary School early that morning. . . The police attended the area and arrested the man. He remained in custody until late Friday evening, according to Cpl. Andrew Waddell.
Mountie Waddell explained that “alcohol and possibly drug use” played a part in the incident. Coleborn’s passport was taken and his tentative court date is November 1, 2010 according to the story. Looks like Tofino is not the best place to go nutters.
[Link: The Province]
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Paul de Gelder, the Royal Australian Navy diver who lost a hand and leg to a bull shark during training exercises in Sydney Harbour, is back on a surfboard thanks to his new leg, according to a story from Washington Today.
Once he had recovered from his wounds, Mr de Gelder returned to the waves on the northern beaches close to his Collaroy home. . . “I love being in the water. I wasn’t going to let the shark attack keep me out of the water,” said Mr de Gelder, who recently returned from New York where he and other shark attack victims lobbied the United Nations to curtail fishing practices that threaten sharks with extinction.
de Gelder is a bad ass, no doubt.
[Link: Washington Today]
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Analog surf team manager Geoff Moysa was surfing Newport Beach’s 54th Street yesterday (October 13, 2010) when he saw a kneeboarder face down in the water, according to a Tom Cozad quote in on OrangeCounty.com.
Geoff Moysa (my new hero) saw Kenny floating face down in the surf. He called for help, and the crew of guys in the water which included Pat Towersey went into action. As they brought him in, they yelled to the beach for help, they mobilized his head and neck and got him to the sand as fast as they could. Not an easy task, as Kenny is a big guy.
Cozad, Towersey, and Moysa all played a serious part in saving Kenny Honingford’s life. After he was resusitated on the beach, Honingford was transferred to Hoag Hospital. Amazing work.
[Link: OrangeCounty.com]
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Mother ocean may not have responded to the magnitude of the Slater vs. Smith final in the Rip Curl Pro Portugal with epic waves today (October 14, 2010), but that didn’t keep the world’s current number one and two from hitting it as hard as two surfers could. In total they turned in 25 scoring waves between them.
Kelly Slater kicked the heat off by sneaking into a small backside barrel. He followed that up with another left that included a snap and a mile long backside floater leaving Jordy Smith playing catch up for the rest of the heat. Visibly frustrated, Smith pulled off a superman on a backsider and kept pressing Kelly, but the ramps Jordy needed to fuel his aerial assault never materialized. He finished with 11.43 points to Kelly’s 13.33.
Kelly appeared overjoyed to slip in a win against the world’s best up and comer. “Congrats to Jordy,” Kelly said from the stage. “I’m know he’s not as stoked as he could be with this result. But Jordy is an amazing surfer. He and Dane are the guys who are setting the future of the sport and I’m just learning from them now. So I’m really happy to get this win over him.
On the podium Jordy Smith struggled to open the champagne bottle. When he finally did splash Kelly it was without enthusiasm. To be that close and see his first title slipping away must be heavy. “I had a blast here,” Jordy said. “We’ve had some really fun waves. I’ve just been stoked to be in the finals with Kelly Slater.”
With this Rip Curl win Kelly Slater has taken his 44th event on the ASP World Tour and strolls into Puerto Rico with everything going his way. We’re left to wonder— will he win claim number ten in Puerto Rico or be forced into a showdown at Pipeline in December?
Follow the jump for the full results and the official word from the ASP.
[click to continue…]
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